Botswana
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Background |
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Formerly the British protectorate of
Bechuanaland, Botswana adopted its new name upon
independence in 1966. Four decades of uninterrupted
civilian leadership, progressive social policies, and
significant capital investment have created one of the
most dynamic economies in Africa. Mineral extraction,
principally diamond mining, dominates economic activity,
though tourism is a growing sector due to the country's
conservation practices and extensive nature preserves.
Botswana has one of the world's highest known rates of
HIV/AIDS infection, but also one of Africa's most
progressive and comprehensive programs for dealing with
the disease. |
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People |
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Population: |
1,561,973 |
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Age Structure: |
0-14 years:
39.2% (male 310,282; female 302,452)
15-64 years: 56.2% (male 424,613; female 452,801)
65 years and over: 4.6% (male 30,896; female
40,929) |
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Median Age: |
total:
19.2 years
male: 18.5 years
female: 19.9 years |
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HIV/AIDS - Adult prevalence rate: |
37.3% |
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HIV/AIDS - people living with
HIV/AIDS: |
350,000 |
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HIV/AIDS - deaths: |
33,000 |
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Major Infectious Disease: |
typhoid fever, malaria
overall degree of risk: high |
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Nationality: |
noun:
Motswana (singular), Batswana (plural)
adjective: Motswana (singular), Batswana (plural)
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Ethnic Groups: |
Tswana (or Setswana) 79%, Kalanga 11%,
Basarwa 3%, other, including Kgalagadi and white 7%
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Religions: |
indigenous beliefs 85%, Christian 15%
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Languages: |
English (official), Setswana
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Literacy: |
definition:
age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 79.8%
male: 76.9%
female: 82.4% |
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Communications |
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Telephones - main lines in use: |
142,400 |
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Telephones - mobile/cellular: |
435,000 |
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Telephone System: |
general assessment:
the system is expanding with the growth of mobile
cellular service and participation in regional
development
domestic: small system of open-wire lines,
microwave radio relay links, and a few radiotelephone
communication stations; mobile cellular service is
growing fast
international: country code - 267; two
international exchanges; digital microwave radio relay
links to Namibia, Zambia, Zimbabwe, and South Africa;
satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Indian Ocean)
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Radio Broadcast Stations: |
AM 8, FM 13, shortwave 4 |
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Television Broadcast Stations: |
1 |
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Internet Country Code: |
.bw |
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Internet Hosts: |
1,920 |
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Internet Users: |
60,000 |
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Economy |
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Economy Overview: |
Botswana has maintained one of the
world's highest growth rates since independence in 1966.
Through fiscal discipline and sound management, Botswana
has transformed itself from one of the poorest countries
in the world to a middle-income country with a per
capita GDP of $8,800 in 2003. Two major investment
services rank Botswana as the best credit risk in
Africa. Diamond mining has fueled much of the expansion
and currently accounts for more than one-third of GDP
and for nine-tenths of export earnings. Tourism,
subsistence farming, and cattle raising are other key
sectors. On the downside, the government must deal with
high rates of unemployment and poverty. Unemployment
officially is 21%, but unofficial estimates place it
closer to 40%. HIV/AIDS infection rates are the highest
in the world and threaten Botswana's impressive economic
gains. Long-term prospects are overshadowed by the
expected leveling off in diamond mining production.
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GDP: |
purchasing power parity - $14.2 billion
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GDP - real growth rate: |
7.2% |
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GDP - per capita: |
purchasing power parity - $9,000
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GDP - composition by sector: |
agriculture:
4%
industry: 48.7% (including 36% mining)
services: 52% |
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Population below the poverty line: |
47% |
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Inflation Rate: |
9.2% |
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Labor Force: |
264,000 formal sector employees
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Unemployment Rate: |
40% (official rate is 21%) |
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Budget: |
revenues:
$3.263 billion
expenditures: $3.283 billion |
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Public Debt: |
7% of GDP |
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Agriculture - products: |
livestock, sorghum, maize, millet, beans,
sunflowers, groundnuts |
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Industries: |
diamonds, copper, nickel, salt, soda ash,
potash; livestock processing; textiles |
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Industrial Production - Growth Rate: |
7.3% |
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Exports: |
$2.544 billion f.o.b. |
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Exports - Commodities: |
diamonds, copper, nickel, soda ash, meat,
textiles |
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Exports - Partners: |
European Free Trade Association (EFTA)
87%, Southern African Customs Union (SACU) 7%, Zimbabwe
4% (2000) |
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Imports: |
$1.753 billion f.o.b. |
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Imports - Commodities: |
foodstuffs, machinery, electrical goods,
transport equipment, textiles, fuel and petroleum
products, wood and paper products, metal and metal
products |
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Imports - Partners: |
Southern African Customs Union (SACU)
74%, EFTA 17%, Zimbabwe 4% (2000) |
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Reserves of Foreign Exchange & Gold: |
$5.25 billion |
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Debt - External: |
$392 million |
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Economic Aid Recipient: |
$73 million |
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Currency: |
pula (BWP) |
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Currency Code: |
BWP |
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Exchange Rates: |
pulas per US dollar - 4.9499 (2003),
6.3278 (2002), 5.8412 (2001), 5.1018 (2000), 4.6244
(1999) |
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Fiscal Year: |
1 April - 31 March |
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